Africa-Press – Eswatini. SWAGAA was called to intervene after a teacher brutally battered a nine-year-old boy and further allegedly denied him his right to access medical care.
The incident took place over the past weekend at Mpompotha, under Sithobelweni Constituency, in the Lubombo Region. The matter is currently being dealt with by the Swatini Action Group Against Abuse (SWGAA), the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) and Social Welfare Department, which is under the Deputy Prime Minister’s (DPM) Office. According to a source close to the matter, the teacher in one of the schools in the Manzini Region, who is the boy’s father, allegedly visited his home at Mpompotha on Saturday night and found his son asleep.
It is alleged that he woke him up from his sleep and demanded to know where he was when he visited home on a previous occasion. The source claimed that this was because in his last visit, the educator did not find his son home. He also claimed that the child was not at home at that time because he was running away from his father as he alleged that the father abused him.
Questioning
While questioning the boy, the source alleged that the educator started beating him with open hands on the face and all over the body. He claimed that he also used his belt and sticks and battered him all over the body in the middle of the night. “Some neighbours, who heard the child shouting ‘Inyandzaleyo’ (yelling for help) and pleading for forgiveness from his father, wanted to go out to assist him, but they feared being attacked by the educator,” the source alleged. The sourced alleged that the father battered his son until he was satisfied as no one came to intervene.
He alleged that on the following day, after seeing the injuries on his son’s face and body, he made arrangements to take him to one of his relatives in the Hhohho Region for reasons known to him. The source added that the child was not taken to hospital because they would have demanded information on the cause of the injuries. Later on, around Tuesday, a concerned citizen, who was aware of the matter and the fact that the child had been taken to the Hhohho Region, reported it to SWAGAA. The concerned citizens also informed the organisation that the child was kept in the Hhohho Region and assisted them to trace the exact location.
On the very same day, officers from SWAGAA travelled to the Hhohho Region and found the child groaning in pain, as he had not been taken to hospital. They rushed him to a clinic and engaged the police and Social Welfare Department. A case was then opened with the police. The source said the child had serious assault wounds on the head, left eye, and all over the body. SWAGAA Communications and Advocacy Officer Sakhile Dlamini, confirmed the matter. She said the act of taking the child to the Hhohho Region instead of rushing him to hospital was cruel. She recounted how they had tried to get hold of the father, but their efforts were in vain.
Investigation
On the same note, Deputy Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Inspector Nosipho Mnguni, also confirmed the matter. She said the matter was reported at Buhleni Police Station and the officers had already launched an investigation. She also highlighted that the police had tried to get hold of the father, but failed. However, she was not on their wanted list yet because they were still exhausting other means of getting hold of him.
This publication also made efforts to get his comments, but were in vain as his cellphone number was not available on the MTN Eswatini network on Wednesday and yesterday.
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